Thank you for your dedication to changing futures The Rotarians and Clubs of District 9930, and the District itself, are highly valued long-term supporters of Interplast.Interplast is grateful to have this further opportunity to work with District 9930, on a proposed volunteer surgical program for the Solomon Islands, to take place in 2023.
Your support will allow our volunteer medical team to provide life-changing surgery and post-operative care to patients in desperate need, at the same time providing an opportunity for local medical staff to receive invaluable hands-on training provided by the Interplast anaesthetist/s, surgeons, and nurses.
The proposal Interplast has worked in the Solomon Islands since 1984. Our programs take place in the National Referral Hospital (NRH) in Honiara.
Based on our years of experience, a one-week surgical program such as that covered in this proposal would expect to assess up to 50-60 patients for their suitability for surgery on the first day of the program. Of those assessed, we would anticipate that 20-30 patients would be able to receive surgery. These surgeries would be undertaken across the next 4-5 days. Interplast program surgeries performed in the Solomon Islands typically address the following conditions:
• Cleft lip & palate
• Upper limb injuries
• Burns scar reconstruction
• Skin lesions and soft tissue deformities
• Other congenital conditions By far the most often-performed procedures at NRH are on babies and children who have cleft lips and palates – like Rockson, pictured below. 9930 Rotarians may remember Rockson’s story. He and his Mum traveled by boat for 3 days from a remote island in the west of the Solomon Islands to meet the Interplast team in 2017 and 2018.
In 2023, Interplast expects to see new patients who have been waiting a very long 3 years for surgical interventions, due to the impact of COVID-19 restrictions. We also expect to see some patients who require follow-up surgery from previous Interplast visits.
Team Composition New Zealand surgeons Dr. Zac Moaveni (pictured above) who is also an Interplast Board Director, and Dr. Kirk Williams, have 9 volunteer visits to the Solomon Islands between them and have developed strong relationships with their colleagues at the National Referral Hospital in Honiara.
It is anticipated that one or both would participate in the 2023 program, as well as a mix of anesthetists and nursing volunteers from both New Zealand and Australia. Dr. Scott Siota, pictured left, the general surgeon at NRH, has worked with Interplast teams since 2010, building his knowledge of plastic and reconstructive surgery through the training and mentoring provided on each visit, and remote mentoring provided during COVID.In 2018 Scott was able to perform his first cleft repairs under Zac’s supervision - a fantastic example of the vocational training provided by Interplast in each surgical program. It is intended that a Rotary Observer from District 9930 will accompany the volunteer surgical team to Honiara.
This will enable the Rotarian to speak with patients and their families about their experiences and to take photos, which can then be used to provide feedback to District 9930 donors on the use of their donations. Budget At the time of writing this proposal, it is hoped that the proposed surgical program can be fully funded by the $50,000 NZD raised by Interplast District Chair Elizabeth Wright, from across the district.
However, this is subject to ongoing COVID-related pressures on the costs of Interplast programs, such as the cost of flights and of transporting equipment (a typical Interplast team can take 200-250 kilos of equipment with them); insurance; currency exchange rates; and the specific needs of the partner country at the time the program takes place.
Once fully planned and time-tabled closer to the point of departure in 2023, should the cost of the Solomon Islands program exceed the funds raised by District 9930, they will be supplemented by other funds raised by Rotary supporters across Australia and New Zealand to ensure that the program goes ahead. We cannot thank you enough for your ongoing support, to help Interplast repair bodies and rebuild lives in the Solomon Islands.
Janette EtheringtonCoordinator – Rotary Engagement Interplast Australia & New Zealand
250-290 Spring St East Melbourne.
Victoria.
Australia 3002